News

Daníel Bjarnason was announced today as the new Principal Guest Conductor of Iceland Symphony Orchestra, starting in September 2019 for a tenure of two years. Next season Daníel will conduct several concerts at Harpa Concert Hall and lead the orchestra on their European tour in November 2019.

The board of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra has appointed Lára Sóley Jóhannsdóttir as managing director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, commencing 1st August 2019. Lára Sóley succeeds Arna Kristín Einarsdóttir, who has held the position of managing director for the past six years.

We regret to announce that both conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier and mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter are indisposed and had to cancel their performance with the Iceland Symphony on March 21st. We are grateful that mezzo-soprano Charlotte Hellekant and Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason, Assistant Conductor at the Iceland Symphony, could take their place with such a short notice. The concert program is unchanged.

Iceland Symphony Orchestra is live from Harpa Concert Hall with conductor Daníel Bjarnason performing Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. The programme also features Daníel Bjarnason's Bow to String with soloist Sæunn Þorsteinsdóttir and Arvo Pärt's Fratres.

The Iceland Symphony Orchestra has a vacancy for principal bassoon with the orchestra. Application deadline is February 3^rd 2019 and auditions will be held on April 1st 2019 in Harpa Concert Hall. Click here for further information.

Each year, the Iceland Symphony takes part in the Dark Music Days, a festival of contemporary Icelandic music. The orchestra's concert on January 31st features three first performances, as well as other outstanding recent works, one of which is Metacosmos by Composer-in-Residence Anna Thorvaldsdottir. Before the concert, the orchestra invites guests to a conversation with Anna where she talks about her new work (in Icelandic). On February 1st the orchestra will also premiere two works at the Yrkja concert.

Arna Kristín Einarsdóttir, Iceland Symphony's Managing Director, has been appointed as Managing Director at the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Canada. She will take up her new post in the spring of 2019. Arna Kristín has been the Managing Director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra since the year 2013 and was Concert Director at the orchestra from the year 2007. She will continue her post as Managing Director at the Iceland Symphony until next spring.

Iceland Symphony Orchestra takes part in a varied program of new and old music and art performances at Harpa Concert Hall on December 1st at 20:00 GMT celebrating 100 years of Icelandic independence and sovereignty. In the presence of the President of Iceland and the Queen of Denmark. The programme will be broadcast live on RÚV, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service.

The Iceland Symphony Orchestra has a vacancy for two principal positions with the orchestra. Application deadline for both positions is December 9th, 2018.